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Leptospirosis may prove to be fatal, warns expert

30Sep

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Health

Leptospirosis may prove to be fatal, warns expert

As Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was hospitalised after he was diagnosed as suffering from leptospirosis, a disease not many are familiar with, a doctor explains how this bacterial infection occurs, its dangers, and the precautions that must be taken. Explaining how leptospirosis spreads, Dr M Wali, Senior Consultant from the Department of Medicine at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi, said that this infectious disease is caused by the bacteria Leptospira, and often spreads to humans through rats. The infection can occur when food, water, or soil contaminated by animal urine comes into contact with the nose, mouth, eyes, or broken skin, he said. Regarding the symptoms of this disease, Dr Wali said that in the early stages of leptospirosis, patients may experience flu-like symptoms. H...

In defence of Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff

30Sep

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Life Style

In defence of Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff

As far as Heathcliff’s otherness is concerned: yes, it is an important part of his character. But the beauty of art – and of a 177-year-old tale of pure fiction – is that the creator (in this case, Fennell) can (and should) be afforded freedom to express that otherness as they see fit. The answer to the Elordi-not-being-a-gypsy conundrum might be found in what former Heathcliff Tom Hardy did with Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. “Bane, quintessentially, is Latinx in origin and I’m not,” Hardy told Wired when the Christopher Nolan film came out in 2012. “So I looked at the concept of Latin and found a man called Bartley Gorman, who’s a Romani gypsy. The king of the gypsies, in inverted commas, and a bare-knuckle fighter and a boxer.” He remoulded the movie’s villain to fit an image that he co...

Hurricane Helene toll hits 90 in USA; homes and memories washed away

30Sep

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World News

Hurricane Helene toll hits 90 in USA; homes and memories washed away

By Alyssa Pointer, Maria Alejandra Cardona and Octavio Jones for Reuters Bo Hester assessing damages to his house after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, on 28 September, 2024. Photo: AFP/ Chandan Khanna Cleanup and recovery efforts under way from Florida to Virginia Damage estimated from $15 billion to over $100b. The Southeastern US begun a huge cleanup and recovery effort, and the death toll climbed towards 100 people after Hurricane Helene knocked out power for millions, destroyed roads and bridges and caused dramatic flooding from Florida to Virginia. The storm's winds, rain and storm surge killed at least 90 people in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia, according to a Reuters tally of state and local officials. O...

Air New Zealand to stop direct flights from Invercargill to Wellington

30Sep

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Business

Air New Zealand to stop direct flights from Invercargill to Wellington

A Boeing Dreamliner 787-9, from the Air New Zealand fleet. Photo: Supplied/ Air NZ Air New Zealand has confirmed it is canning direct flights from Invercargill to Wellington from January next year, with people travelling from the deep south having to go through Christchurch. It said tough economic times meant domestic demand had softened, particularly in the regions, and combined with having an aircraft out of service due to global engine maintenance issues, it had to make the tough decision to cancel the direct Invercargill to Wellington service. Invercargill Licensing Trust chief executive Chris Ramsay runs 23 different establishments, and is expecting to host thousands of visitors to Invercargill next year. He told Checkpoint Air New Zealand is putting profit ahead of its social resp...

Forestry not to blame for Smithfield meatworks closure, industry says

30Sep

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Business

Forestry not to blame for Smithfield meatworks closure, industry says

Alliance Group's Smithfield meat processing plant, Timaru. Photo: RNZ / Tim Brown A group that represents the owners of New Zealand's commercial plantation forests disputes that forestry is one the reasons behind the proposed closure of the Smithfield meatworks. Alliance Group told staff on Friday it planned to fully close its meat processing plant in Timaru, with Federated Farmers saying land use change was to blame, with farms being converted into carbon forests at alarming rates. The New Zealand Forest Owners Association said the area of production forestry across the country had decreased in the last 20 years, but Beef + Lamb New Zealand said focusing on total forestry area overlooked the impact of recent land-use change on the sector. Statistics from Te Uru Rākau - New Zealand Fore...

The Tribe Trailer: Alanna, Alaviaa admit to living in a `Bollywood bubble`

30Sep

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Entertainment, Movies

The Tribe Trailer: Alanna, Alaviaa admit to living in a `Bollywood bubble`

Prime Video has unveiled an exciting trailer for its upcoming original reality series, The Tribe. The nine-episode unscripted series is a Dharmatic Entertainment production, with industry stalwarts like Karan Johar, Johar, Apoorva Mehta, and Aneesha Baig serving as executive producers. The Tribe trailer delves into the journeys of five young, glamorous, and affluent content creators: Alanna Panday, Alaviaa Jaaferi, Srushti Porey, Aryaana Gandhi, and Alfia Jafry, along with digital evangelist and investor Hardik Zaveri. View this post on Instagram A post shared by prime video IN (@primevideoin) What The Tribe show is all about The series takes you behind the scenes into the glamorous and dramat...

Salary growth slows, with some industries in reverse

30Sep

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Business

Salary growth slows, with some industries in reverse

Photo: 123rf.com Advertised salaries are growing at a slower pace due to strong competition for a limited number of jobs, new data shows. Employment website SEEK has found average advertised salaries grew 3.7 percent in the year ended August, down from 4.4 percent in the previous quarter. SEEK country manager Rob Clark said with more people applying for fewer jobs, the rule of supply and demand was holding back salary increases. "If you're an employer you've got more choice and therefore that allows you to have more flexibility on salary rates. And if you're an employee and you're looking for work, it's more competitive out there, so you might be prepared to forego the salary that you may have hoped [for] previously." The education and healthcare sectors recorded the greatest growth yea...

Greenpeace sues Fonterra over 100 percent grass-fed butter claim

30Sep

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Business

Greenpeace sues Fonterra over 100 percent grass-fed butter claim

Fonterra's Anchor brand butter, showing the label claiming it is '100 percent New Zealand grass-fed'. Photo: Supplied/ Greenpeace Greenpeace is suing dairy company Fonterra for misleading customers by claiming its Anchor brand butter is 100 percent New Zealand grass-fed. Fonterra's own rules allow up to 20 percent of the diet of their dairy cows to be feed that is not grass, while still able to be considered "grass fed". Greenpeace said this was a problem, as imported palm kernel feed was linked to the deforestation of rainforests in Southeast Asia, and customers deserved to know that their products were contributing to demand for it. Greenpeace spokesperson Sinéad Deighton-O'Flynn served Fonterra with the lawsuit on Monday morning at the dairy co-operative's Auckland headquarters. "Fon...

Australian who kidnapped four-year-old denied sentence reduction

30Sep

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World News

Australian who kidnapped four-year-old denied sentence reduction

Terence Kelly's lawyers argued his mental impairment should have been given more weight during his sentencing for kidnapping four-year-old Cleo Smith. Photo: Supplied / Western Australian Police Force Terence Kelly has failed in his bid to reduce his sentence for abducting Cleo Smith Cleo, 4, was taken from her family's campsite in the Western Australian town of Carnarvon, in 2021 Kelly's lawyers claimed his mental impairments should have been given greater weight by the sentencing judge Today's decision in the Court of Appeal will see Kelly's original sentence of 13 years and six months stand A man who abducted a four-year-old child and held her captive at his home for more than two weeks has lost his appeal to have his sentence reduced. Terence Kelly abducted Cleo Smith from her par...

Business confidence at highest point since 2014 – ANZ

30Sep

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Business

Business confidence at highest point since 2014 – ANZ

ANZ's business confidence survey found strong signs businesses are growing more positive about the future. Photo: Unsplash/ Patrick Tomasso ANZ business survey shows headline confidence at highest since May 2014 Firms also most upbeat about their own outlook since mid-2014 More firms expect better profits, investment, steady jobs, wages, inflation Retail and construction sectors more cheerful. The recovery in business confidence has held at a decade high, with firms buoyed by improved trading and expectations of future growth. ANZ's survey for September showed general sentiment rose 10 points on the month before, to a net 61 percent optimism, the highest since May 2014. The more closely followed 'own activity' measure showed an eight point rise to 45 percent optimism, also a 10-year...